Ya know, I was mildly "hot" in my 20's, but it made absolutely no difference to my quality of life. If you have not a wit of self confidence (mine was very low), it makes no difference what you look like. If you are depressed, as I often was, being attractive has no value. I am 43 now, and happier than I have ever been. I look older--a lot older, thanks to being raised underneath the rocky mountain sun sans sunscreen my entire youth..., and--except for the skin cancer issues--I pretty much dig it. My smile lines have merged with my eye lines. My hair line is doing some interesting things, but that's okay. I am much more engaged with life and living, and that seems to make all the difference. I go through phases where I am in relationships and doing that work, then lovely periods of solitude where I think: this rocks! I really have a hard time with people surgically improving their looks: I just find it painful to know that people think it truly matters, and spend their hard earned money to perk things up. How will this look when they are 75? That is my question. Anyone see Death Becomes Her? I have a mother like one of the posters: stunningly beautiful her whole life but she never knew it or truly felt/believed it, so it made no difference.

Beauty and looking youthful are completely irrelevant to happiness. This I know. If anything, they are a hindrance to happiness because they are so valued and so difficult to maintain, and have so very little to do with one's actual character.